[New York Post] Amir Taheri - In the next Iranian parliament, the number of members with backgrounds in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) will be twice as large as that of the mullahs. The IRGC fielded candidates in three factions. The largest of these, with 100 out of the 290 seats, looks to Ahmadinejad as its standard-bearer. The second faction, led by Tehran Mayor Muhammad Baqer Qalibaf, an IRGC general, may end up with 30 seats. A third faction, sponsored by former IRGC Commander Gen. Mohsen Rezai, is slated to win 20. At least half of the 40 men elected as independents are also former or active members of the IRGC or security services. Some 30 seats are likely to go to elements close to former President Rafsanjani, who describe themselves as "reformists" and promise to form the core of opposition to Ahmadinejad.
2008-03-20 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive